A.N: This story will jump back and forth between the past and the present. The past will always be in italics, so as not to get confusing. Read and review and enjoy!

Chapter 1

February 1, 2009

Eyes fluttered open and searched their surroundings. The body lying on the bed tried to move, but couldn't. He was completely paralyzed from the neck down. He turned his face toward the door of the room and tried to scream, but his throat was too dry. He wanted to move. He wanted to get out of there. He wasn't home, he could feel it. Fear suddenly overtook his body and began thrashing his head from side to side.

"Cэр?"

He looked to the door again saw a nurse.

"Wa-water…"

He couldn't recognize his own voice. It seemed foreign to him.

The nurse nodded. She seemed to understand his request, because immediately she'd brought a glass to his lips.

"Whe-where am I", he said slowly.

"Dikson, Russia", she said.

"Do you speak English", he asked.

"Yes", she smiled.

He nodded gratefully. "How did I get here?"

"You don't remember", she asked, "Some fishermen found you offshore. You had hyperthermia. One more night and you might not have survived."

"My legs", he asked, "My arms. What happened?"

"I'll get the doctor", she said smiling softly, "Mr-"

"Luthor", he laid his head back on the pillow, "Lex Luthor."

~*~

She woke up screaming. She'd dreamed it again. The same dream she had the last couple of nights. The one that felt so real.

The light turned on and she squinted her vision to see Martha standing in her doorway.

"Oh Lois", she said softly and walked over to the bed in the center of the room.

She bit her lip. "It happened again."

"Oh sweetheart", Martha said sitting down on the edge of the bed and pulling the young woman in for a hug, "It was just a dream…"

Lois hugged her tightly.

"It feels so real, Mrs. Kent", she said softly.

Martha pulled back and touched her cheek lovingly. "Honey, we just buried him two days ago. No one expects you to move on so soon."

Lois nodded and felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"How do you do it", she asked.

"Do what", Martha smiled softly.

"Be strong", Lois asked, "You're the strongest person I know…"

"Clark had a lot to do with that", she nodded, "After Jonathan…"

Lois nodded understanding.

"I understand", she said holding her knees closer to her body.

"After Jonathan passed", Martha continued, "I had to be stronger, for Clark… for you… but mostly for me."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent", Lois said shaking her head.

"For what", she asked smiling, "You didn't do anything…."

"Exactly", Lois said lowering his gaze from Martha's eyes.

~*~

Oliver sat in the dark on his couch leaning forward with his hands folded in front of him. A light came on and he sat up looking around.

"I thought hanging around in the dark was my thing…"

He smirked and stood up.

"What are you doing here", he asked.

"Bart called me…"

"You didn't have to come", Oliver said.

"He told me what happened, with your friend… I want to help."

"No offense", Oliver said folding his arms in front of his chest, "But I thought you weren't a team player…"

"I'm not, not usually anyway, but you need my help. I may not have known him… but Clark sounded like a real hero."

"He was", Oliver nodded, "He saved us all."

"So, what do you say… for ol' time's sake."

Oliver smiled and extended his arm, shaking his friend's hand.

"Welcome to the team, Bruce."

~*~

February 1, 2009

"Mr. Luthor, you've suffered massive injuries to your spinal cord", Dr. Murphy was saying, "The nerves in your major joints have been destroyed. You may never walk again, sir."

Lex sat in his wheelchair overlooking the mountains outside his window.

"My father would never accept that", he said, "He once put me through a life threatening surgery to avoid this. Luthors aren't cripples, Dr. Murphy, I will walk again."

Dr. Murphy nodded.

"We can go back to the States within the week", he said softly, "We'll get you the best doctors Lex."

He nodded.

"It'll be nice to be back."

~*~

"Good morning, Bright Eyes."

She grinned happily and leaned in to kiss him.

"Good morning", she smiled.

"I made breakfast", he said pushing back a strand of her hair, "I thought we'd go out to the farm later after we eat… you know to see Lois and Senator Kent."

Chloe nodded.

"That's a great idea", she said kissing him softly, "I better get up then."

She threw her covers off her and stood up from the bed. Jimmy watched her shuffle around their room. It'd only been a couple of days since he'd come back to the apartment, and things may have been moving fast, but it didn't matter. The last time he'd been this happy was on his wedding day a year ago and he wasn't ready to give it up.

He won't let her slip through his fingers again.

"Jimmy?"

He looked up and smiled.

"Breakfast", she smiled.

"Right", he said getting off the bed and walking up to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, "I love you."

"I love you too", she said looking up at him, "Something wrong?"

"No, for the first time in a long time, everything's right", he smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

~*~

Lois walked down the stairs to the kitchen and found Shelby waiting for her at the foot of the staircase.

"Hey boy", she said bending down to pet the dog.

"Lois", Martha called from the kitchen, "You've got visitors…"

Lois rounded the corner with the dog in tow and smiled softly.

"Hey Chlo", she said nodding, "Jimmy…"

"Hey, we thought we'd hit the town today", Chloe smiled.

"It's Smallville, how much hitting can we possibly do", Lois said sarcastically.

"Lois", Martha said reprimanding her tone.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Kent", Lois said opening and closing cupboard roughly, "I'm sorry if I just don't feel like pretending that nothing is wrong…"

She felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Lois, we're not trying-"

"You can go on pretending he's not dead, but I can't", she said closing another cabinet, "And where is the damn coffee."

She stopped searching and leaned against the counter. The other three people in the room watched her as she let a sob escape and trembled. Shelby strutted up to her rubbing against her leg. She leaned away from the counter and wrapped her arms around herself. She turned around and let the tears fall down her face.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here", she said tearfully.

Chloe walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm sorry Lois", she whispered hugging her tightly, "I'm so sorry."

~*~

"So, you mean to tell me that Lex Luthor is now this kryptonian warrior named Zod", Bruce was saying, "Who escaped the Phantom Zone and unleashed Doomsday on Clark Kent, who is also from Krypton."

Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, that's the gist of it", he said smirking.

"Well, now I see what attracted you to this town", Bruce smirked.

"Trust me, it wasn't Kryptonian", Oliver laughed.

"I see", Bruce nodded, "So the team… when are they going to show up?"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist Batboy", AC smirked walking into the room, "We're all here and accounted for."

"Hey, Ariel, so nice of you to show up", Bruce said sarcastically.

"Better to be a hot mermaid than a rodent, Bats", AC said in retaliation.

"Guys", Oliver said stopping their banter, "Are you finished?"

"He started it", Bruce mumbled.

"And I'm finishing it", Oliver said, "You guys act like kids…."

"Guys", Dinah asked from across the room eliciting a glare from Oliver.

"So Zod", Oliver said, "There has been no sign of him in two days. Where do we look?"

"As far as we know, he could be anywhere on the globe", Bart said, "I ran it a few times… there's no sign of him anywhere."

"Why is it can be anywhere around the globe again", Bruce asked.

"Kryptonians have super speed", John said from across the room, "They get their powers from the yellow sun."

"Nice energy source", Bruce nodded.

"So how do we find him?"

"Well, he has to know Clark's dead right", Dinah asked.

Everyone in the room lowered their gazes, except Bruce.

"Sorry", Dinah apologized.

"Right", Bruce answered anyway.

"As far as we know", Dinah continued, "He doesn't know Lois is…. Fixed…."

"Fixed", Bruce asked.

"She was possessed by Zod's wife", Dinah said, "Not too much different from her daily self though."

"Dinah", Oliver groaned.

"What", she shrugged smiling.

"So we use her as bait then", Bruce nodded.

"No way", Oliver said shaking his head.

"What do you mean no", Bruce asked, "I'm not exactly seeing any other option unless you want to wear a dress and a wig to draw him out…"

"We can't risk her safety for the sake of the mission", Oliver said, "That is not an option."

"How about letting her decide for herself…"

They all turned to the door to find Lois standing there with her arms crossed.